


Camp Camp - The Return of the Max

by TJ_The_Broken



Category: Camp Camp (Web Series)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Camp Counselor Max (Camp Camp), Emotions, Future Fic, No Romance, Years Later, i have no idea what to tag this
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:40:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,739
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23306197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TJ_The_Broken/pseuds/TJ_The_Broken
Summary: Basically, I've been thinking about the concept of Max returning to camp as a counselor and there being a kid with parents who don't care and him overcoming his childhood trauma by helping this kid have a good summer camp experience. And I figured this was something so obvious to do but when I went to look for some (because the concept would not leave my head and I thought seeing it play out might help) I couldn't find that many and none that didn't also include some romance plot for Max (with most being with David which just feels weird to me since Max is a really young kid in the series and David is at least college age and some kept the age gap and also David is a parental figure to Max and some kept that too end rant)But yeah, this is me putting the fic I wish I was able to find out into the expanse of the internet for someone to find. I will probably update sparingly based on my track record but we'll see.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 32





	1. Day 1 - Cabins, Campers, and One Cringe Orientation Video

Max waited by the sign, a frown on his face. His co-counsellor Abigail was somewhere finishing off the cleaning. Maybe cabin 3 where, of fucking course, luminescent mould had started growing. The cabins had been a new addition since Max had last been at the camp as a tween. The cutoff age for campers was 12 and Max went every summer he could. Not like it was hard since his parents would’ve shipped him somewhere whether he liked it or not. 

It had been weird coming back to camp. Just him, a duffle bag of essentials, a shitty college degree, and his mum yelling at him that he was a disappointment. She had wanted him to be a doctor. Instead, he got the shortest business degree available and decided he wanted to work at a summer camp, at least, for a bit. David had seen his application but hadn’t believed he’d actually show up. Max was surprised David still remembered him at all, since he saw so many campers each and every year. But, just like every single applicant for Camp Campbell counsellor Max had ever seen, he instantly got the job. Abigail had been a counselor for two years apparently. Max could tell she disliked him and he disliked her. What sane person with other options stayed at a summer camp for more than a year? And he knew she had other options. Unlike Gwen who Max remembered had struggled to get a job and had a shitty arts degree, Abigail was motherfucking loaded. And well, David wasn’t sane so that explained him.

He shoved his hands in the pocket of his official Camp Campbell hoodie, camp colours, pine tree and all. 

This goddamn bus was taking too fucking long. At this rate, he’d be old before the kids got there. Out of nowhere the bus pulled up and the door opened with a painful sound. Quartermaster, who hadn’t aged a single day and Max had expected to have died by now, turned his head and snorted wetly, “Kids are here.”

Out stepped more campers than Max expected. Not as many as your average good summer camp but definitely more than the numbers they had when he was at camp. That’s probably why they needed cabins instead of tents.

“Welcome campers,” Max said, trying not to sound completely dead inside, “to Camp Campbell! I’m Max and I’m here to answer any questions you may have and then we’re going to go on a tour of the camp. How’s that sound?”

A kid stuck their hand in the air.

Max ignored it, “No questions?”

The hand waved impatiently.

“Nothing? Well, alright then. Follow me to the flagpole, then we’ll see the cabins followed by the mess hall where you’ll get to see the orientation video.” Max turned and walked towards the flagpole. It wasn’t the same pole he had when he was at camp, he could tell because the dick he’d scratched into it was gone but it with the flag flowing in the wind looked exactly as he remembered it. Max gestured to the flag, “This is the flagpole with the Camp Campbell flag. David will encourage you to salute it but it really doesn’t matter if you don’t.”

A few hands popped up and Max ignored them.

“Keep up,” Max trudged over to the cabins. He swept his arm at them. You’ll find your names on the doors outside your cabin, if you have an issue with your cabin mates, sort it out yourselves or see David. Go in and put your stuff down then meet me out here so we can go to the mess hall. Any questions?”

Five hands went up immediately.

“Wonderful!” Max trudged away to sit on a log.

The kids gathered around cabin doorways looking for their names. Almost immediately one kid walked over to Max.

“What is it, kid?”

He was on the older end of camp age and wore black hoodie, “Um, this isn’t your fault or anything but I’ve been put in a cabin with girls and, uhhh, I’m not a girl.”

Max sighed and rubbed his eyes, “Look, swap around with the other campers, talk to David, whatever, just don’t bother  _ me _ with it.”

The kid hesitated and looked like he might cry before nodding. Max watched as he took his stuff into cabin 4 where three girls were introducing themselves to each other. He frowned. Why didn’t the kid just fix the problem? Once the kids were all back outside Max whistled for their attention and led them to the mess hall where Abigail and David were waiting.

“Hi campers!” David said cheerily, “Welcome to Camp Campbell! I’m the camp director David! And this is your other camp counsellor Abigail!”

Abigail smiled sweetly and waved, “Welcome kids.”

“We’ve got a very special video to play for you about the camp but first I’ll sing the camp so-”

“Absolutely fucking not,” Max glared at David.

“Wow, those are some  _ adult _ words there Max, things that our campers should not repeat. Moving on, here’s the Camp Campbell orientation video!” David pressed play on the remote and the video started.

Max hadn’t seen the orientation video, David had been very secretive about it. Something about it being a surprise. The quality of the video was subpar as the camera zoomed in on the Camp Campbell sign before panning down to David.

“Welcome campers! I’m sure you have many questions about our wonderful camp and I’m here to answer them all. In form of song!”

“For fucks sake David,” Gwen walked in the frame and Max felt a pang of nostalgia. The camera cut and then was back on David, now in the mess hall. The quartermaster was serving food and there were campers in the background. Very familiar campers.

“Oh shit,” Max whispered. There were all his friends from when he was a tween. This would’ve been his last year at Camp Campbell and while some of the older kids had left the main crew were there plus some of the younger campers Max remembered tormenting.

“Here we provide you with the best nutritional meals available that our quartermaster cooks up special.” Tween Max stood up and flung mashed potato at the camera. It cut to outside where the campers were all doing their various camps. “At Camp Campbell we strive to provide the best camp experience for all our campers! We are equipped to provide every single camp you signed up for and more! In fact, I have a song abo-”

“Nope!” Tween Max, Neil, and Nikki came into frame as Neil struggled to get the camera off whoever was holding it. Once he had, he focused on Max.

“Cut the shit. Basically, all you need to know is that this place was once used as a scam but now,,, it’s still a scam! Just a scam with heart. This is a shitty shitty camp but you’re stuck here til the end of summer so suck it up and make the most of it. I’ve been coming to Camp Campbell for years and it’s still just as shit but I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Suddenly there was a struggle for the camera again and someone mumbling “Give me back my camera you piece of shit.”

It cut to David, Gwen, and Quartermaster smiling beside the flagpole, “So welcome Campers to Camp Campbell! Where we’re more than just one camp, we’re all camps!” As David spoke the campers from that year walked in and Max was hit with another wave of nostalgia. He really did miss those days.

He looked up at David who was smiling warmly at him.

“What the fuck was that?!” Some kid yelled from the group and the rest suddenly exploded in agreement.

“Yeah! That answered shit!”

“What the fuck even is this camp?”

“This isn’t what I signed up for!”

“Calm down,” David said desperately, “It’s okay campers.”

“Don’t you have any returning campers this year?” Max yelled over the noise.

Abigail shook her head, “All the kids who were returning campers last year grew out and last year didn’t leave the best impression on the other campers.”

Max huffed and then whistled loudly. The kids shut up.

“I understand you’re all confused and upset but I promise, you’re going to have a  _ great _ summer!” David smiled, “Now, off to your cabins to settle down before we have dinner.” As the campers, herded by Abigail, shuffled out, Max turned to David.

“Well, that was a disaster.”

David sighed, “Max, it was fine. What did you think of the orientation video?”

Max avoided David’s eyes, “It’s not really the best view of the camp. You should probably update it anyway.”

“Max,,, past campers have loved it, you know.”

“Whatever. Uh, one of the boys was put in a cabin with girls. You should probably go sort that out.”

David frowned, “Oh dear, I thought I was very thorough but of course, I’ll go see what I can do.”

Max shrugged and pulled his hoodie over his head. Something about seeing his younger self was really getting to him. He was a miserable piece of shit back then and was he really any different now? His parents had finally started caring about him. Caring that he was a massive fucking disappointment. He had barely any friends. He hadn’t spoken to the kids he met at camp in years. He had only just managed to pass highschool and almost dropped out of his shitty degree three times. The world was just a pile of flaming shit. Not to mention, he was still an asshole to everyone. He didn’t even care enough to put effort into this job, a job at the only place he’d ever been happy in his life. Max slipped out and into the counsellors cabin, emotions swirling like a big black cloudy puddle.


	2. Gender shmender

The campers were all chatting as they ate dinner. Clearly giving campers cabins created friendship groups fast but in true camp style there were plenty of outliers. The boy from earlier was sitting next to one of the older girls who looked really wise for a twelve year old. Two of the younger girls had become fast friends and were excitedly braiding each other’s hair.

“So Max,” Abigail sat next to him with some food, “Have you got any of the kid’s names down yet?”

Max shrugged, “Not really.”

Her smile fell, “Oh, well,” She pointed to a girl with long dark hair sitting by herself, “That’s Clover. She’s here for music camp. And she’s in a cabin with Rosa, Marina, and Isabell. Who, respectively, are here for rock study camp, design camp, and beauty camp.” She pointed to one girl who was also by herself then the two braiding their hair. “That’s Mal,” She pointed to a tall boy who looked like he hadn’t seen the sun in a while, “He’s here for magic camp. And he’s in a cabin with Valerian, Kevin, and Erik. Who, respectfully, are here for different design camp, other rock study camp, and…” Abigail trailed off, frowning, “Huh, I don’t remember what Erik signed up for…”

Max couldn’t really care less. He’d learn the kids' names eventually, having them all thrown at him was boring and David sucked at naming the different camps the kids were signed up for. Different design camp? Other rock study camp? It was so bad. But Max  _ was _ curious about one kid, “Who’s that one?” He pointed to the boy from earlier who wasn’t talking with the others like the girl next to him but very much seemed to be in the group she was talking to.

“Oh, that’s Quinn. I don’t remember what she was down for either…”

“She?” Max looked at her strangely, “No, he told me himself that he wasn’t a girl.”

Abigail gave Max a look back, “Very funny Max, I’m not in the mood for your games. I thought, maybe, we’d be able to be co-counsellors together and everything would be okay but maybe you really still are the kid from the orientation video.” Abigail stood up and moved somewhere else.

David walked in and tapped Quinn and another kid on the shoulder, motioning for them to come outside. Quinn looked at the girl next to him, kinda panicked, and she nodded, following him outside. Max stood up and left too, keeping his distance but still being close enough to hear what was happening.

“I’m so sorry for the mix up Quinn,” David looked so solemn, “Your parents did put you down as a girl and I’m very sorry that happened. Ember here wasn’t put down as anything so I assumed they were the same as their brother. But -”

“I took the form before it was submitted and erased my gender.” Ember shuffled, “I’m not either and my parents don’t really know that yet but they didn’t care enough to notice I changed the form.”

“I erased the camp they signed me up for. I thought it might mean the form would get rejected and I’d stay at home.” Quinn smiled at Ember, clearly feeling a connection to their situations.

Ember didn’t smile back, “Whatever. David said that you want to be with the boys so I’ll switch.”

“Are you okay with being in a cabin of girls?” the girl Quinn had bought asked softly.

Ember glared at her, “What does it matter? I’m not a boy, he is. He gets to go in the boy’s cabin, everything’s solved.”

“Well now, Ember, that’s not everything solved. You have to be comfortable too.”

Ember threw up their hands, “What other solution is there? The boy cabins are all full if I stay, you’re not allowed to mix cabins, and I’m not even a boy!”

“We can call someone about Cabin 3 and see if we can move one of you there. Or there’s the old tents lying around?”

“I’ll take the tent.”

“Ember, are you sure?” Quinn said hesitantly.

“Of course I’m sure, just stop pestering me and move into my cabin.”

David nodded and noticed Max near the door, “Can you set up a tent, Max?”

Max nodded and walked past them to the shed. As he was passing he heard David explain to Quinn who his new cabin mates were. Apparently, they were the younger boys, Harvey, Roman, and Armel. David would’ve told him what camps they were here for as well but Max had already moved out of earshot and was struggling to move the unassembled tent to an empty spot. As he was finishing he noticed Ember kicking rocks into the lake. Max wanted to leave it. He wanted to not care. But the way Ember wrapped their arms around themself reminded Max so much of himself that he just couldn’t. By the time he had walked over, Ember was sitting on the jetty and Max sat next to them.

“Your parents sound awful.”

“What do you fucking care?”

“I get it,” Max sighed, “I really fucking get it. I wish I’d let someone in at your age. Let someone know how much it hurt me.” Max chuckled, “Fuck, I’m talking out my ass here. I don’t even let people in  _ now _ . But whatever. You deserve better than I did and shit. So you can talk to me whenever.”

Ember looked at him and then at their arms, “I wish I had a hoodie like you, my fucking parents took all of mine because they’re fucking assholes.”

Max blinked for a second, “I,,, I think I have one from when I was a kid with me. I never wore it.”

“You’re kidding!” Ember smiled for a second before turning away, “I mean, I bet it’s shit. But, uh, can I have it anyway?”

Max felt a smile on his face and he immediately wished he didn’t. He was connecting to this kid. He was going to end up like fucking David. But he went and got the hoodie out of the box of them in his room. All different sizes, from the many years and many presents his parents had given him. Ember looked immediately at ease when they put it on but then put on a scowl and turned away from him, “Whatever.” Before running off to their tent. Max could feel it in his gut. He was going to help this kid this summer and he fucking hated it.


End file.
